I don’t know about you all, but the moment the calendar flipped over this weekend, all I wanted to do was cozy up with some of my fall faves. It was gray and rainy here these past few days, which probably provided extra incentive to stay in and snuggle up. And sure enough, one thing led to another, and before you knew it our little home was in full-on, festive, fall hygge mode. We’re talkin’ a fireside candle burning, fall playlist on the speaker, inaugural pumpkin roll of the season baking in the oven, a steaming cup of hot cinnamon spice tea in my paws, big cozy throw back on the couch, soft slippers on my feet. And the quintessential fall first — a big butternut squash ready and waiting on the counter to be turned into my mom’s famous butternut squash soup recipe.

We made a huge batch of this butternut squash soup and shared it with some neighbors and friends who were over throughout the weekend. And as always, it proved to be the perfect fall comfort food. It’s incredibly easy to make in the slow cooker, pressure cooker, or on the stovetop. (I’ve included all three methods below.) It’s full of good-for-you veggies, and also happens to be naturally gluten-free and vegan. And it’s just the perfect balance of sweet and savory seasonal flavors.

I first shared this butternut squash soup recipe back on the blog four years ago, but thought it was worth bumping it back to the top of the blog today in case you’re also craving all of the cozy fall vibes. I hope you love it as much as our family does.

Best Butternut Squash Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients:

To make this easy butternut squash soup recipe, you will need:

Butternut squash: You can either use 1 medium-sized fresh butternut squash. (<– Here is my tutorial for how to select, peel and cut fresh butternut squash.) Or feel free to save a step and purchase your squash pre-cut, either in the fresh or frozen vegetable section of the grocery store.

Carrot, onion and apple: I especially love making butternut squash soup with apple (I recommend Granny Smith) which brings an extra touch of sweet, tart flavors to this soup.

Vegetable stock and coconut milk: These ingredients have the double bonus of making this vegan butternut squash soup! That said though, if you’re not a fan of coconut milk, you’re welcome to sub heavy cream (or half and half) instead.

Garlic, sage, salt, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg: My favorite seasoning combo. If you don’t have fresh sage on hand, feel free to use a pinch of dried. (And if you do have fresh sage, I also love to fry up a few extra leaves and use them as a garnish on top.) Also feel free to add more or less cayenne to taste.

Your choice of garnishes: I like to drizzle on some extra coconut milk, maybe sprinkle of toasted pepitas, and a sprinkle of extra black pepper and/or smoked paprika. Mom’s version called for sprinkling cayenne on top. Or I’ve included lots of other ideas for fun garnishes below.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup Instructions:

To make crockpot Butternut Squash Soup, simply…

Combine your ingredients (minus the coconut milk) in a slow cooker*. Roughly diced — don’t spend time perfectly chopping all of your ingredients. Feel free to use a large (6-quart) slow cooker or a small (3.5- to 4-quart) slow cooker.

Cook until tender. Generally about 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high. Then remove and discard the sage and add in the coconut milk.

Blend. Either use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Or you can transfer the soup in two batches to a traditional blender and puree it there. (Just be extremely careful blending hot liquids; you do not want the blender to be too full.)

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup Instructions:

Stovetop Butternut Squash Soup Instructions:

To make this healthy Butternut Squash Soup recipe on the stovetop, simply…

Combine your ingredients (minus the coconut milk) in a large stockpot. For extra flavor, I recommend sautéing the onion and garlic beforehand in a tablespoon of olive oil. But that step is optional if you’d like to save some time.

Cook until tender. Cook the soup until it reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, or until the butternut squash can be easily mashed with a fork.

Blend. Either use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Or you can transfer the soup in two batches to a traditional blender and puree it there. (Just be extremely careful blending hot liquids; you do not want the blender to be too full.)

Possible Variations:

Want to customize your butternut squash soup recipe? Feel free to:

Roast your veggies: For added depth of flavor, feel free to roast the butternut squash, carrots and onions before adding them to the soup to make roasted butternut squash soup. It doesn’t add too much extra time (especially if you prep the rest of your soup while the veggies roast), and roasted butternut squash soup always tastes delicious!

Give it a Thai twist: To make Thai curried butternut squash soup, add a tablespoon or two of red curry paste and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Then serve with lime wedges and chopped fresh cilantro.

Give it a Mexican twist: Nix the sage and nutmeg and stir in 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin and a big pinch of chipotle chili powder instead. Then serve with lime wedges and chopped fresh cilantro.

Add rice or grains: To add some extra chewy-ness to your soup, feel free to add in some rice, quinoa, farro or other favorite grains. Just be sure to also add in extra broth accordingly to help cook the rice or grains.

Use cream instead of coconut milk: If you are not a big fan of coconut milk, feel free to use heavy cream or half and half in place of the coconut milk to make this soup nice and creamy. (Just note, with the dairy, this will obviously no longer be vegan butternut squash soup.)

Have fun with toppings: So many toppings can pair well with butternut squash soup! Some faves include:

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a fork. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender and puree until smooth, being extremely careful not to fill the blender too full with a hot liquid.) Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne as needed.

Stovetop Instructions:

Cook on medium-high until the mixture reaches a simmer. Then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are all tender and mash easily with a fork.

Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender and puree until smooth, being extremely careful not to fill the blender too full with a hot liquid.) Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne as needed.

Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes.

Instant Pot Instructions:

Notes

*For extra flavor, I recommend sautéing the garlic and onion before adding the remaining ingredients. Just heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Then add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 additional minutes until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Then add the remaining ingredients and continue on with the recipe.